Fisher set for second appearance in state bowling tournament

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Kylie Fisher wanted to have the Wilmington High School girls bowling team advance to the state tournament.

She didn’t want to make another trip to Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl by herself.

The Hurricane missed that goal by 19 pins, which would have been one more pin than final state qualifier Centerville.

“It was definitely tough,” she said. “There are so many ways we could have hit (19) more pins. I would rather lose by 300 pins than be (19) pins short. That way you’re not rethinking all those pins you could have hit.”

Fisher was fourth as an individual at last week’s Division I Southwest District Girls Bowling Championship tournament at Beaver-Vu Lanes. Last year as a freshman at the state tournament, Fisher finished ninth overall, earning second team All-Ohio honors.

Fisher will bowl 10:45 a.m. Friday in the OHSAA Division I Girls Bowling Championship.

Bowling in general took a back seat last season for Fisher after the state. Her grandmother Linda Fisher was in failing health. A day after the state tournament, Linda succumbed after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

“It’s definitely tough,” said Kylie. “At the districts last year, I had no clue what was going to happen. At districts, I had her last year. (Her death) is definitely on my mind a lot. But I know she’s looking down, so happy.”

Though she finished ninth last year, Fisher was third after two games. Fisher finished with a disappointing 168 game after games of 219 and 211 to start.

“The wrong ball change,” Fisher lamented. “That’s all it was. I threw the same ball all the way through the first and second games. Then I made a change and it didn’t work. I did put a little pressure on myself, knowing I was sitting near the top of the field going in to that last game. That probably had a little part in how I was throwing the ball but I made a bad ball change, which didn’t help.”

As the post-season unfolded this year, Fisher battled the 10 pin at sectionals. “I felt like I bowled really well at sectional, threw the ball good,” she said. “I left 11 10-pins and made, I think, three of them. I put in so much work between sectionals and districts.”

The 10 pin was no problem last week at districts, so mission accomplished there. District spare shooting was more the norm, whereas sectional spares were an exception. After state last year, Fisher said she took almost the entire summer off. With her grandmother’s death fresh in her mind, “Bowling wasn’t in my head. It wasn’t important to me.”

After a slow start to the year, Fisher bowled a 280 game for the WHS girls record and her season took off from there. She still hasn’t set a goal for herself at the state tournament. Getting there was a big deal. The district tournament was so much more pressure-packed.

“Before districts, I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “I was just ready to go, get it over with. Making state, it’s like I did it. I have a friend who only made state her freshman year, so getting there this year was a big deal. If I bowl well (Friday), it’s a plus.”

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